By Celani Sikhakhane

A new Phakama Digest report found 31,088 girls aged 10 to 19 gave birth in KZN between April 2023 and March 2024, many under 14.

The DA wants a joint task team to investigate abuse, prosecute offenders, and increase sex education, as most pregnant learners drop out of school.

The Democratic Alliance in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature has called for the creation of an urgent task team to deal with the high number of schoolgirls falling pregnant in the province.

This follows a Phakama Digest report which found that between April 2023 and March 2024, 31,088 girls aged 10 to 19 gave birth at public health facilities in KZN.

The report revealed that about two girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth every day, and 83 girls aged 15 to 19 gave birth daily. In total, 85 girls aged 10 to 19 gave birth each day.

DA spokesperson on social development Shontel de Boer said the party is “shocked and outraged” by the findings. She said pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 12 are unquestionably caused by rape, while those between 12 and 14 are almost always statutory rape.

The DA is calling on the MECs for Social Development, Community Safety and Health to form a joint task team to track all cases of teenage pregnancy, ensure investigations, and help prosecutors secure convictions.

De Boer said the Department of Social Development must also run programmes teaching young people about the consequences of early sex and provide support for pregnant learners.

The report also showed that only 2,408 of the 25,239 pregnant learners stayed in school, meaning most dropped out.

It further found that the government’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme reaches only 61 out of 6,022 schools in KZN.

Pictured above: DA spokesperson Shontel de Boer calls for an urgent task team to address the high number of schoolgirl pregnancies in KZN.

Image source: KZN Legislature